Other Natural Religions

[Husky]

Post 2/4



The Shinto sacred dance for the Kamis.



A Japanese programme featured (cinematised but) traditional Shinto music as background to what represented a sacred Shinto ritual dance. The music is so utterly sublime in its beauty - typically Japanese, Shinto (typical traditional instrumentation too besides the mild cinematic additions) - that I've regularly got it on infinite loop here.



Called Kagura, it is a sacred Shinto dance/ritual practise that invites the Kami and enables communion between the humans and the Kami. (The dance also cleanses temple premises and drives away evil spirits/bad stuff, besides pleasing and invigorating the Kami and the other classes of divine/special Shinto beings that assemble to watch it - sort of like how saamam is said to please the Hindoo Gods - and is beneficial for the place, the gathered and the world at large. <- Like the Vedam's beneficial effects.)



The kagura I saw was one of the slow-moving ones performed by a lady. But several of the youtube videos I have found (see the following post) show more energetic kagura. Before linking to those, however, here's wacky for background:





a. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagura

Kagura (神楽, かぐら, "god-entertainment") is a Japanese word referring to a specific type of Shinto theatrical dance—with roots arguably predating those of Noh. Once strictly a ceremonial art derived from kami'gakari (神懸, かみがかり, "oracular divination") and chinkon (鎮魂, ちんこん, "spirit pacification"), Kagura has evolved in many directions over the span of a millennium. Today it is very much a living tradition, with rituals tied to the rhythms of the agricultural calendar, as well as vibrant Kabuki-esque theatre, thriving primarily in parts of Shimane prefecture, and urban centers such as Hiroshima.[1]



Contents



1 History

2 Imperial Kagura

3 Folk Kagura

4 References

5 External links



History

Kagura stage



The epics Kojiki and Nihonshoki describe a folklore origin for the dances. In these texts, there is a famous legendary tale about the sun goddess Amaterasu, who retreated into a cave, bringing darkness and cold to the world. Ame-no-Uzume, kami/goddess of the dawn and of revelry, led the other gods in a wild dance, and persuaded Amaterasu to emerge to see what the ruckus was all about.[2] Kagura is one of a number of rituals and arts said to derive from this event.



Originally called kamukura or kamikura (神座), kagura began as sacred dances performed at the Imperial court by shrine maidens (miko) who were supposedly descendants of Ame-no-Uzume. Over time, however, these mikagura (御神楽), performed within the sacred and private precincts of the Imperial courts, inspired popular ritual dances, called satokagura (里神楽), which, being popular forms, practiced in villages all around the country, were adapted into various other folk traditions and developed into a number of different forms. Among these are miko kagura, shishi kagura, and Ise-style and Izumo-style kagura dances.

[...]



Kagura, in particular those forms that involve storytelling or reenactment of fables, is also one of the primary influences on the Noh theatre.

The Miko and other sacred dancers are said to channel the Gods when performing kagura. Miko are sometimes also said to be female Shinto ... "oracles" (for lack of a better word).



A very famous and thrilling Kagura that's regularly performed re-enacts heavenly Kami Susanoo-no-Mikoto defeating the Yamato-no-Orochi. And other re-enactments of sacred and epic Shinto narratives. This type of Kagura is more like Hari-Katha combined with dance, sort of like the Kathakali that Kerala Hindoos do. Actually, Shintos have lots of martial Kagura dances, including kagura defeating Oni-s and dragons, since Japanese martial arts are sacred and derived from the Kami. E.g. not just Sumo and Aikido but also Kendo/swordsmanship are deeply related to Shinto. You can even find a video on youtube mentioning the invocation Shinto rituals to the Kami that precede Kendo practice and competitions, and Kendojos are regarded as sacred grounds like Shinto temples (because the Kami are invoked and present there*), the way Kalaripayattu halls/grounds are regarded sacred for the presence of Hindu Gods there.

* Kami are known to be pleased at the sight of the divine Shinto martial arts and attracted to locations where these are carried out. This is another reason why Japanese martial arts are performed during some sacred Matsuri.



[In Taoism too, Taoist martial arts are divine skills originally taught by the Gods. In the divine narrative about the little divine son of Shengmu (sp?) who sets off to free his Goddess mother, a Taoist God famously appears to teach the heroic male baby God the skills of Tai-Chi martial arts, so that the skill may help him in his quest to liberate Goddess Shengmu.]





b. Brief diversion to Noh (traditional Japanese theatre) which is more widely-known, it's origins are in Shinto:



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh

[...]



Okina (or Kamiuta) is a unique play which combines dance with Shinto ritual. It is considered the oldest type of Noh play, and is probably the most often performed. It will generally be the opening work at any programme or festival.



[...]



The only ornamentation on the stage is the kagami-ita, a painting of a pine tree at the back of the stage. The two most common beliefs are that it represents either a famous pine tree of significance in Shinto at the Kasuga Shrine in Nara, or that it is a token of Noh's artistic predecessors which were often performed to a natural backdrop.

c. On Megami-sama Ame-no-Uzume, the Dawn Goddess of the Shintos (not to be confused with Amaterasu Okami, who is the Sun Goddess of the Shintos) who is recorded as first performing Kagura:



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto

Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto



Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto (天宇受売命, 天鈿女命?) is the goddess of dawn, mirth and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan, and the wife of fellow-god Sarutahiko Ōkami. She famously relates to the tale of the missing sun deity, Amaterasu Omikami. Her name can also be pronounced as Ama-no-Uzume.[1][2]



Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto is still worshiped today as a Shinto kami, spirits indigenous to Japan.[6] She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, The Great Persuader, and The Heavenly Alarming Female.[7]

(Many heathen religions have Gods associated with and/or presiding over and/or embodying the Sun, the Moon, Dawn, Dusk, Day, Night. So pre-emptively: Ame-no-Uzume has nothing to do with anything deemed IE.)





d. Wacky admits that the Divine husband of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto presides over many Shinto martial arts:



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarutahiko_Okami

Sarutahiko Ōkami (猿田毘古大神, 猿田彦大神), is the leader of the earthly kami, deity of the Japanese religion of Shinto. Sarutahiko Ōkami is seen as a symbol of strength and guidance, which is why he is the patron of martial arts such as aikido.[1]

[1. Gleason, William (1995). The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido. Destiny Books. p. 18. ISBN 0-89281-508-6.]



He enshrined at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture, first among the 2000 shrines of Sarutahiko ÅŒkami, Sarutahiko Jinja in Ise, Mie and ÅŒasahiko Shrine in Tokushima Prefecture.



In the Nihon Shoki, he is the one who greets Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the grandson of Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, when he descends from Takama-ga-hara.[2] He is depicted as a towering man with a large beard, jeweled spear, ruddy face, and long nose. At first he is unwilling to yield his realm until persuaded by Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, the kami of dance and the arts, whom he later marries.[3]



(I think Sarutahiko Okami is the God who is depicted in that beautiful Japanese Shinto animation for children/all ages called "Tatsu-no-ko Taro", where Taro and animals are performing the sacred Shinto practice of sumo-wrestling when a reddish-coloured God with a uniquely long nose is attracted to their Sumo wrestling and makes himself apparent to them. (IIRC the animals in the cartoon expressly mentions that he is particularly attracted by this very sight and therefore the animals happily indulge in the jousting match.) This is the point in the cartoon where the Great God - having been entertained by watching - is pleased to challenge Taro to a Sumo match, and then becomes so excessively happy at Taro's courageous and energetic attempts against him that he blesses the brave little boy with some sips of his Divine Sake that confers on little Taro with the ability to summon the strength of 100 men when helping *others*. :clapping: Always reminded me of keerAtArjuneeyam.)





Title



Sarutahiko has the distinction of being one of only six kami to be honored with the title Ōkami (Japanese: 大神) or "Great Kami"; the other five are Izanagi, Izanami, Michikaeshi (also known as Yomido ni sayarimasu ōkami (?) who is the kami of the great rock used by Izanagi to obstruct the way to Yomi, and thus, preventing emergence of evil spirits from the Underworld), Sashikuni, and Amaterasu. The special honor paid to Sarutahiko is particularly notable for the fact that he is the singular kunitsukami, or earthly kami, to be given the title; the other five are all amatsukami, i.e., heavenly kami.[citation needed]